Physician&#39;s examining table



Oct. 14, 1941. R. w. M KEAN PHYSICIANS EXAMINING TABLE 2 She ets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19, 1939 .N m M M W m E 6 0 R Oct 1944- R. w. MCKEAN 2,258,782

PHYSIGIANS EXAMINING TABLE Filed Dec. 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROGERS W McKEA/v INVENTOR Patented (Jet. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

PHYSICIANS EXAMINING TABLE Rogers W. McKean, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application December 19, 1939, Serial No. 309,983

4 Claims.

This invention relates to equipment for a physicians oflice and has particular reference to an examining table.

In folded position the table has the appearance of a well designed article of furniture, and when in expanded or open position it provides a convenient and serviceable table for examinations and minor operations.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be easily and quickly converted from one of the referred to positions to the other.

A particular object resides in the novel manner herein disclosed of concealing the extending members when the table is in closed position.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a head rest supporting frame which may be released from its suspended position by a trigger operated latch for enclosing the head rest within th end ofthe table.

Still another object of the invention is to provide arm rests which, like the head rest, may be pivotally suspended within the table body and thereby made capable of concealment. Moreover, the arm rests herein described may be positioned in various convenient positions relative to the position of the patient on the table.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description of the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the examining table in a closed position.

Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1, but shows the table in an expanded or operative position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the table illustrating a portion of the top in fragmentary section and showing the suspending members of the head rest and arm rests in their relative positions.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken intermediate the ends of the table and showing the normal positions of the arm rests when the latter are vertically suspended within the table.

Figure 5 is an inverted plan view of one of the arm rest assemblies.

Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating a spring actuated hinge employed in covering recesses in the upper edge of a concealing panel, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the head rest supporting frame, and particularly illustrates the latch and trigger mechanism.

In the drawings, the numeral l generally designates the table body which is comprised of a rectangular base 2 and a top 3 supported by uprights 4 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. A cushion 5 substantially covers the top 3 and may be secured in place by any suitable means.

Transver'sely positioned within the body I, as shown in Figures 3 and. 4, there are vertically spaced partitions 6 and I which support parallel and longitudinally positioned axles 8 and 9 near the upper and center edges of the said partitions. These axles 8 and 9 serve as supports for th arm rest assemblies l0 and l l which are journaled to the partitions 6 and 1.

Each arm rest assembly is comprised of a pair of bracket arms l2, 13 which are secured together at their outer ends by relatively broad cross members M which are attached to the raised or off-set ends of said arms as shown in Figure 4. Other cross members l5 are attached between the brackets l2 and I3 near the ends which are journaled to the axles 8 and 9 to make each assembly l0 and II more rigid. Through each outer cross member 14 there is provided a longitudinal slot l6 for slidably receiving a bolt I! which projects from the under side of a movable arm rest I9, as particularly shown in Figures 3 and 5. The bolt II has a wing nut l8 threaded on its lower end and thus. the arm rest l9 may be pivotally and slidably engaged on the outer cross member [4. At corresponding points on the outer edges of the cross members H! and the rests I9 there are attached friction catches 20, as particularly shown in Figure 5, and thereby allowing these members to be positioned one over the other when closing the table.

In order to maintain the arm rests IE! and II in horizontal positions, the panels 21 and 22 on the sides of the table I are hinged to the base 2 and have rectangular recesses or openings 23 in the upper edges to receive the bracket arms I2 and [3. Spring actuated hinges 24, such as the one shown in Figure 6, cover these openings 23 when the table is in closed position and th arm rests l0 and II are vertically suspended therein.

The head rest assembly 25 is rotatably supported at one end on a transverse axle 26, the ends of which are attached to the inner side walls of the table body I, and relatively near and parallel to the upper edge of one of the partitions 6.

Bracket arms 21 and 28 are journaled to the axle 26 and are designed to extend outwardly through the end of the table I to support a head rest member 29 which is attached to said arms by small brackets 30 as shown in Figure 7. The upper surface of the member 29 is provided with a cushion 3| which when extended, is level with previously referred to cushion 5.

Within the upper inner end of the table I there is secured a horizontal bar 32 of strap iron or the like, shown in Figure 3, and is designed to engage th latches 33 and 34 which are pivoted to arms 27 and 28. Springs 35 and 36 are attached between the lower ends of the latches 33 and 34, as shown in Figure 7, and the arms 21 and 28 for maintaining the engagement of the latches with th bar 32.

The latches 33 and 34 may easily and quickly be disengaged by means of a trigger mechanism which is comprised of an angular bar 31 slidably suspended beneath the head rest by means of brackets 38. One end of the bar 37 is connected by a chain 39 to the lower end of a depending rod 49 which is attached to a shaft 41 rotatably mounted between the arms 2'! and 28. The shaft- 4| has integral and vertically projecting rods 42 and 43 near the arms 21 and 28 and said rods are attached to the upper ends of the latches 33 and 34 by chains 44 and 45.

An end panel 46 is hinged to the base 2 and is provided with the recesses 23 and hinges 24, as previously described, to accommodate the bracket arms 21 and 23, as Well as the trigger rod 31.

All areas between the uprights or legs 4 are enclosed with panels 41.

An unconcealed foot rest 48 may be provided for the table I at th end opposite the head rest 29 and, as shown in the drawings, may be hinged to the top 3 and adjusted by any means known to the art.

In operation, the arm assemblies [0 and H may readily be changed from their normally vertical position within the body I to operative or extended positions, a shown in Figures 2 and 4, by pulling the horizontally hinge-d panels 2| and 22 outwardly, lifting the said arm rest assemblies to horizontal positions, and by then replacing the said panels again in vertical positions. By reason of the construction heretofore described, the movable arm rests may then be adjusted as desired. Similarly, the panel 46 maybe pulled outwardly so as to permit the head rest assembly 25 to be rotated into a horizontal position. The latches 33 and 34 will then connect with the transverse bar 32. The panel 46 may then be repositioned vertically so as to close the end of the body I.

By merely reversing these operations, and by releasing the latches 33 and 34 by means of the trigger 37, the table may easily b closed so as to assume the closed appearance as shown in Figure 1.

What I claim is:

1. An arm rest for a physicians examining table comprising a pair of bracket arms, a cross member connecting the outer ends of the said bracket arms, an arm rest member pivotally and slidably connected to the said cross member, and means for connecting and supporting the said bracket arms within the said table.

2. In a physicians examining table, a body, a pair of arm rests horizontally and pivotally supported within the said body, said arm rests each comprising a longitudinally positioned axle attached to the said body, lateral bracket arms connected to the said axl at their inner ends, a cross member connecting the outer ends of the said bracket arms, and panels hingedly attached at their lower edges to each side of the said body for engaging the under sides of each of the said arm rests.

3. An arm rest for a physicians examining table comprising a pair of bracket arms, a cross member connecting the outer ends of the said bracket arms, a slot in the said cross member, an arm rest member on the face of the said cross member, retaining means extending from the said arm rest member through the slot of the said cross member, and means for rotatably supporting the said bracket arms within the said table.

4. In a physicians examining table, a body, parallel axles longitudinally positioned within the said body near the top thereof, pairs of bracket arms extending from each of the said axles, pivoted and slidable arm rests supported by the outer ends of the said bracket arms, and panels hinged at their lower edges to the said body for engaging the said bracket arms when the latter are in extended position.

ROGERS W. McKEAN. 

